Don't fear heatstroke on summer trips: Top 10 essential cooling tips

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

With scorching summers and the holiday season upon us, many people are planning overseas trips or beach outings. Under the blazing sun, it's easy to suffer from heatstroke, which can disrupt your journey. Here are ten effective ways to beat the heat—travelers might want to take notes.

1. Eat small, frequent meals and don’t eat too quickly
When you eat, your body generates more heat to aid digestion, causing a slight rise in body temperature. Therefore, in summer, avoid overeating or gobbling down food too fast, as this can make you feel even hotter.
 
2. Eat fewer foods that cause internal heat and excessive warmth
Summer heat can also raise your liver fire, making your body feel even more parched. Avoid foods that trigger internal heat, such as fried items, spicy or stimulating foods, hot-natured foods, sweets, and heat-inducing fruits. Instead, opt for heat-reducing foods like watermelon, kiwi, vegetables, and white fungus and lotus seed soup.
 
3. Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol both boost metabolism, raising your internal body temperature and accelerating metabolic activity. The more you drink, the thirstier and hotter you’ll feel. Sugary drinks also trap moisture in your body, making it harder for cells to absorb water.

4. Take warm showers for better heat dissipation
When cold water touches the tiny blood vessels on your skin, they constrict to reduce heat loss from your body. Thus, taking a cold shower in summer only gives you a brief cool sensation, followed by feeling even hotter. It’s best to shower with water between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius in summer.
 
5. Drink more warm water
Drinking ice water in summer only feels cool momentarily, but your body reacts to the drop in core temperature by activating heat production mechanisms, leaving you feeling even hotter and thirstier afterward. The most thirst-quenching option in summer is lukewarm water close to body temperature, around 37 degrees Celsius.
 
6. Tatami mats
Besides using air conditioning and electric fans, simply adjusting your room setup can help lower indoor temperatures more effectively—tatami mats are one great solution. Made from materials that absorb moisture and regulate temperature, tatami mats also help wick sweat and prevent odors.

7. Massage pressure points
To cool down, try massaging pressure points. Stimulating the Baihui point at the crown of your head and the Yongquan point located at the junction of the second and third toes and the front one-third of your sole can help relax both body and mind.
 
8. Choose breathable bedding and clothing
Similar to the concept of tatami, opt for breathable bedding materials such as feathers, woven straw, bamboo, cotton, and linen—all of which help dissipate heat and lower indoor temperatures. For clothing, choose breathable, sweat-wicking fabrics that promote airflow, reduce heat, and eliminate dampness.
 
9. Carry cooling tools with you
When traveling outdoors, bringing small cooling accessories can help beat the heat—options include wet wipes, mini fans, and cooling sprays.

10. Relax your mood and drink tea in moderation
Although tea contains caffeine, choosing cooling teas like chrysanthemum, lavender, winter melon, bitter, or herbal tea can help reduce metabolism, soothe your mood, and make you feel less hot.
 

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